As the Hourglass Turns: Book 1, Ignition
by Ithilgoree
Summary: Follow the journey of Xeren, a young sand bender native of the Si Wong desert. Stumbling upon a plot out of his control, he soon ends up in unfamiliar territory, gaining new friends along the way. Adventure and shenanigans await as time unravels around them. AU with time paradoxes. OC pairings.
1. Of Sand and Glass

Authors note: I do not own Legend of Korra or The Last Airbender. This story follows a new, original storyline of my creation. If you don't like the idea of completely AU stories, or time paradoxes in your stories, then leave now. OC form to be found on my profile, but please read until chapter two before submitting an OC, as that holds instructions. authors note over.

Xeren walked through the Si Wong desert, completely lost. The nineteen year old sand bender clutched the beige and cream coloured duster cloak tightly around him to prevent the sand stinging any exposed skin, being too exhausted to bend it away. It had been three days since his community of sand benders had been sacked by roving hostile bandits. Xeren's teacher had urged him to take their sand sailor and escape. Too leave him behind and abandon the rest of his tribe. "Damned old fool," Xeren cursed, "I could have helped, and now even if you survived, i can't get back to find you. At least not now." Xeren glanced behind him, barely seeing the wreckage of his sand sailor through his goggles. Xeren knew he could never find his way around the desert without the, now destroyed, compass that was on board. Along with the compass, all his rations of food and water were on board. Were being the key word. Xeren felt completely drained after fending off the sand worm that hit his sailor. He was just glad it was a smaller one, and not one of the giants. Even if he had the energy to bend the sand away from the wreckage, the supplies would be ruined anyway. Smashed and splashed under and across the sand. No Destination in mind, no real hope of surviving, Xeren trudged on through the sand.

Several hours later, Xeren was still walking through the desert. Starting to suffer from dehydration, and heat sickness, he almost just laid down and accept the long, dry death that await him. Slowly cresting the next hill, Xeren collapsed from sheer exhaustion. "Now thats no way to act sandboy," a voice said from behind him, "not when the next oasis is just across the dune your taking a nap on." Xeren heard the voice move around to the front of him. Slowly bringing his head up to look at a shorter, slightly hunched, short old woman, white hair on top of her head and kept in place by a green headband.

"No way," Xeren mumbled, letting his head fall back down slightly, "no freaking way can you be here. It's impossible. You're a mirage, I just know it."

"And why can't I be here, boy! I'm a grown woman, not a mirage, and i can go where ever I damn well please." The woman took a stance, solid at the base and looser at the top. "And I cant very well leave you here to die. You seem like a well enough person and more importantly, you're one of the last people who may have the potential. After what happened to the rest of your community." Xeren started to ask what the woman meant, but before he could the woman extended her hands and they were carried forward in a rush of sand, towards the oasis the woman had mentioned before. Reaching the oasis, the sand the woman had used to bend them forward fell and settled back down. Around the two earth benders was a small oasis with a few papaya palms trees nestled around it. Dragging Xeren over underneath a tree, the old woman started filling one of her water skins. She brought it over to the weakened sand bender who lay beneath the tree. Xeren managed to start drinking, savouring and enjoying the feeling of water flowing down his throat, which was as dry as the dunes he had crossed. Taking the skin away from his lips the woman dumped the remainder on Xeren's head. Xeren began to object, but stopped when he realised how refreshing it felt. "You must have many questions," the woman began, "but you need rest more than answers. Night is falling, and the heat of the day is waning. Sleep through the night, regain your strength, and I will tell you all I know to the extent of my knowledge." the woman turned around and made an earthen tent around them, using some of the more solid ground around the oasis.

_"She is probably right," _Xeren thought to himself, letting sleep and his exhaustion overtake him. Watching the woman remove her goggles to reveal the pale blind eyes beneath _"even if she is who i think, questions can wait." _He thought as he drifted off into an exhausted slumber.

"Rise and shine sandman!" The woman shouted at Xeren, waking him from his deep sleep.

"Who! Why! Never, I swear it wasn't me!" Xeren exclaimed at being awoken from his much needed slumber so suddenly. "I mean, umm ah, what time is it?"

"My internal clock says it's somewhere around 10:35 in the morning. But then again, I'm blind." The woman informed him.

"What! This is bad," Xeren started, "it's so late, I've wasted too much of the day already, I need to get walking."

"Hold it kid," the woman interjected, pushing back down into a seated position underneath their earthen tent. "You aren't leaving until we talk, I need to explain things to you. Besides, don't you even remember who you're talking to here."

"Crap, you're right, I'm so sorry. I'm just kind of freaking out here, if you could imagine." Xeren apologised "And also, I do know who you are, at least I think I do anyway. My people have stories about a great earth bender who, when she was young, travelled through this part of the desert with the previous Avatar, and eventually helped end the Hundred Years' War. They say that she was such a brilliant earth bender that, despite being blind, excelled above all other benders and even discovered metal bending as a form of earth bending. You're Toph, aren't you. THE Toph. You are highly respected by my people, and we rarely respect anyone outside our own people. It is such an honour to meet you."

"Geez, what a monologue, did you have it memorised just in case you ever met me?" Toph jested. "But moving on, yes, I am Toph. But despite my status, I do not feel such formalities are necessary with the likes of you"

"Why do you say that," Xeren questioned, "when I'm just a sand bender living out in the desert? Heck, some people would even consider me a savage. Why treat me so specially?"

"Because you are special." Toph began, "You are Xeren Stalawan, son of Talia Stalawan, a skilled lava bender, and Veranac Stalawan, one of my finest metal bending students. Within you lies the potential for great things. Every generation brings skilled and great benders, me being an example, but whose to say you aren't just an ordinary sand bender."

"How, how do you know who I am? And how do you know my parents, they..., no one knows my parents. And why _would_ I be special, I can lava bend, or metal bend. Just sand, heck I don't even think I've gotten the chance to bend solid earth in my life."

"Like I said, your father was a student of mine, and later a member of my police force, as well as being a good friend. When I heard he had married a Si Wong desert native and had a child, I had to see his wife. That's partially how I knew who you were, you look so much like your mother. Especially your hair, the way it pokes out of your head wrap. And those are your father clothes, no one else would be silly enough to have the ends of their head wrap end in such long tails like that, didn't you ever notice anyone else's weren't like that? Besides, this isn't our first meeting, believe it or not. You look, from what I can tell anyway, just like when you were four years old or so, just a bit bigger. I visited your parents quite often before what happened to your first tribe of sand people. I even found your teacher, the man you lived with until now. Your grandmother felt she couldn't adequately take care of you on her own, so I helped her, and the remaining member of your tribe, merge with another nearby one. Though it seems that events in your life have a way of finishing themselves" Toph ended grimly.

"Wait, you mean..." Xeren started.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Toph finished for him. "I'm deeply sorry for you. You are the last of your people, at least in this area of the desert. I came by your settlement and saw, well felt really, the remains. the bandits from your childhood saw fit that they should finish what they had started, but my seismic sense told me that you were not to far away in the distance, and I buried to you. If it's any consolation, I'm glad it was Veranac's son who I found."

"Well, it could be worse," Xeren said, sinking against the tree at the base of the tent, his face melancholy, "I mean at least I'm alive. Grandma died when I was little, seven maybe, and teacher was on his way out, be told me so himself. He went protecting me and giving me a chance, that fits him. He would have wanted it that way, rather than going away in his bed. I can make it through this, I'll find a way."

"Yes you will," Toph encouraged him, "and if you allow me, I want to help, I want to instruct you, teach you some of what I know."

"I would be honoured!" Xeren exclaimed, renewed with enthusiasm at being instructed by perhaps the greatest earth bender in the history of ever. Toph nodded, and stomped on the ground, retracting the shelter she had made the previous night. After a breakfast of papayas growing on the palm trees around the oasis, they began their lessons. Toph began with instructing Xeren in how stances affected his bending, showing now a solid stance as effective while using solid earth, while a more fluid stance helped sand bending. She compared it to how water benders moved, making sure their arms were loose, but their footing was secure. After a couple hours of making sure Xeren could bend both sand and solid earth at talents the basic level, Toph was ready to move on.

"You seem pretty natural at this sandman, I'm not surprised though, given your heritage." Toph congratulated her pupil. " Now that I know you can sufficiently bend at a basic level, I think it's time I teach you something a bit advanced. In fact, you can thank your mother for helping me come up with the technique I'm about to teach you. I'm going to teach you how to change solid earth to sand, and vice versa. Your mother described using a similar technique in changing earth to lave and lava to earth. She described it as feeling the energy of the earth break, shatter even, into thousands of pieces and taking the earth with it. I want you to try it, you want to make the earth shatter, but contain it enough to make sand." Toph bent a large chunk of earth from the ground and moved it in front of Xeren and motioned for him to try. Xeren took a stance, feet wide and arms held in front of him. Xeren focused deeply, trying to imaging what Toph had described to him. Closing his eyes, trying to remember what he could of his mother, he channelled his energy and brought his arms down and apart. His effort was greeted by the sound of sand rushing down in the place the earth had bees. Opening his eyes, Xeren couldn't quite believe it. "Very well done," Toph congratulated, "Though I can't say I'm at all surprised, your natural ability is nothing to laugh at. I told you that you were special. Now, why don't we see if you can do the same In reverse." Xeren, still happy at his success, again took a bending stance. This time his feet were held a bit looser, and his hands were lower and more apart. Focusing on the individual, thousands if grains of sand before him, Xeren brought his hand up and together, bringing the sand in the air. Focusing on what he wanted the sand to become, Xeren clenched his fists together, and the sand fused and solidified into a chunk of solid earth. Toph nodded in approval and congratulated Xeren, saying "I knew you had it in you, your just as talented as your parents, if not more. They certainly passed on some sort of inherit skill. Now to find out if they passed on anything else. Have you ever tried lava or metal bending, Xeren?"

"Well, no, not really. I never really thought about it. I mean, lava just seems like it would swallow the entire desert, so I never really tried it, and the only metal we have is in important tools and coins so I didn't really wanna mess that stuff up." Xeren mused "But I've never tried, so I guess I may be able to, never know until I try!"

"Now that's the resolve an earth bender needs," Toph agreed with Xeren, "if it can be done, by the spirits, you are the bender to do it. I want you to try lava first, since it's the harder for me to teach you, seeing as I can't actually do it. Lava bending, as it seems, doesn't matter how gifted you are, if matters on lineage most often. So in theory, you should be capable. I'll tell you what your mother told me. She said to use the same concept as in the earth to sand technique, but to make the energy move faster. I assume she means to use more energy, which makes sense, heat being energy and lava being really hot earth and all. Let's see what you can do sandy. Wow me." Moving closer to the pool of the oasis, Xeren bent a chunk of earth up in the middle of it, not wanting to consume the area in kava on accident. Once the chunk was constructed, Xeren again took stance, this time making sure to make his body very fluid, almost like that of a water bender. Focusing on the energy of both himself and the earth, he fuelled the earth which his chi, and swept his arms downward making sure to keep his chi flowing. To his delight, the side of the earthen mass in the oasis closest to them melted and started to run into the water, creating massive amounts of steam as it contacted the surface of the pool. Xeren then crossed his arms and then spread them out again, while clenching his fists, making the remainder of the lava cool and return to its earthen state. "Amazing," Toph whispered in true awe "to think me, greatest earth bender of my time, can't change even a pebble into a speck of magma, but some little sand boy comes along and gets it on his first try. Truly, I am impressed. I thought it would take you much longer, seeing as I can't actually do it to demonstrate. That didn't stop the little sandman that could though, you really are like your mother. Now, we get down to my forte, metal." Saying this, Toph stomped the ground next to her satchel, a small, perfectly round ball of metal flew out and into her hand. Xeren clapped quietly, looking amused. "You ain't seen nothing yet sandy" Toph told him, smirking. Toph proceeded to squash the metal between her palms, and then retracting her hands, forming the once ball into a long thin rod. Bending the rod into a circle, she tossed it to Xeren saying "here, you try. Make me a figure eight. Sense the refined bits of earth within the metal, and use those to bend it to what you want. Channel your energy through the earth in the metal and use the connections to bend the metal. Xeren took the circular piece of metal, most likely iron or steel, into both hands, and started to try and sense the argh in it. He channelled energy into it and tried to bend and twist it. He found out that it was indeed a solid piece of metal. "Hmmm," Toph hummed to herself, "seems we aren't a natural at everything, are we?" She finished with a slight smirk.

"I'm trying!" Xeren complained. "I can feel the earth in it, it just doesn't want to, well, bend!" As Xeren was complaining, he threw the ring on the ground and stomped his foot. The ring bent slightly, becoming more oval shaped.

"Oh, now that's bending metal," Toph mused. "Seems your frustration and anger gave it just enough fuel to finally do what you wanted. Try again, this time, use your anger, your resolve to thrive. Use your power as an earth bender!" Xeren again took the ring in his hands, this time more determined. He felt all his being go into his energy and he twisted on the ring. The ring gave way, and twisted into a figure eight shape. As Xeren enthusiastically held the metal over his head, Toph congratulated him saying "it's not the best metal bending I've seen in the world, for sure, but at least you did it. You'll need to practice to hone your skills more, nut for now," tooth took the metal from Xeren, and crushed it in her hands, forming a shape of a flying boar. She then used some of the metal on the top of the shape to make a chain attached to the boar, making an amulet, and tracing something on the back before tossing it to Xeren "Here, something to remember me by. Feel free to practice with it as well, just don't mess it up too bad. For now, it's getting dark, you should get to sleep, I'm giving you new purpose tomorrow, and using the skills I've taught you, your going to make something for yourself."

"Wait, Toph" Xeren started, "first off, thanks for everything, I've learned so much in just this one day alone. I'll be sure to practice and hone my skills, the world better be ready for the second best earth bender!"

"That's the spirit." Toph encouraged, "but you said first off, did you have something else?"

"Yes, I did." Xeren stated. "I believe I may have an earth bending theory, very similar to your on metal bending. Before I tell you, have you ever tried bending glass?"

"Glass? No I haven't, but I think I see where you may be going with this..."

"Glass is just heated liquid sand, right? So in theory, if I made glass using lava bending on sand, and then used the same thinking of focusing on the remaining sand in the glass, like the earth in metal, I should be able to bend sand, right?"

"Well I don't see why not. If anyone should be able to do it, it should be you, what with your newfound lava bending, and your aptitude for sand and whatnot. Give it a try." Xeren, fuelled by his newfound theory, and his teachers encouragement, bent a stream of sand horizontally up beside him. He then used lava ending to heat the sand, keeping it suspended, and then quickly cooling it again. To both their amazement, a long what seemed to be blade like, shard of glass was suspended beside Xeren. Seeing how far he could take this, Xeren targeted a papaya tree on the edge of the oasis, and thrust his arms forward, propelling the spinning blade of glass towards the tree. To Xeren's delight, the glass cut right through the base of the tree, the top falling into the sand. "Well, colour me impressed, it seems I'm not the only paragon in this age of earth bending. Let me be the first to officially congratulate you, Xeren Stalawan, on being the first ever known glass bender, ever."

"Thank you Toph. Not to discredit my teacher, he did have the job of taking care of me as well as teaching me and all, but it think I may have learned more from you today than all I learned from him in twelve years. And what a day today was, it was great, but I'm tired, and I can't wait for that whole new purpose thing you mentioned before." Xeren bent an earthen tent around them, as Toph had done the previous night, and laid down, using his pack as a pillow. "G'night Toph." he Whispered, contentedly drifting off into sleep after a fulfilling day.

"Night sandman. Tomorrow holds much for you" they both drifted off to sleep in peace, happy with what was accomplished that day, and with Xeren eagerly awaiting the next day.

Around 7:00 in the morning, both awoke from their slumber, and had a breakfast of papaya, as they had the previous day. "Before I give you the important information, that will hopefully shape your life for the better, I'll give you some parting gifts." From her pack, Toph gave Xeren some rations of food and a water skin, along with a compass, which he would need to navigate the desert. "Now, I'll tell you what you need to know for that whole new purpose thing I mentioned before. Do you want to know who killed your parents Xeren, and both of your tribes?"

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Xeren asked, suddenly anxious and impatient

Toph held up her hands to settle the young sand bender down a bit "As I thought you would," Toph continued "The man who destroyed most of your life and the people you cared for, is not an ordinary bandit, he is a man named Thronak the scorcher, he is a lightning bender and is very dangerous. He was the head of a branch of a faction known as the red lotus, an anarchist terrorist group only recently stopped by avatar Korra about a year and a half ago. Many members, like Thronak, still remain though, and still seek to carry out their mission of destroying order and law wherever they go. Thronak has a group of loyal followers, who help him spread chaos and death in this area of the earth kingdom. Your parents were working on an idea to unify the sand people into a desert nation to strengthen them and help them prosper. Thronak didn't like that idea of unity and prosperity one bit, and decided to do something about it. After getting word that members of your tribe had survived and carried its principles with it to a new tribe, to people like your teacher, he must have decided to try and end it again. Unfortunately for him, he failed again. Now, I don't care if you want a united desert nation or not, I do care that this man be brought to justice, and I think you are the most entitled to do it, however you choose to do it is up to you. Take the knowledge I have given you, and forge your path, avenge your people. Your parents, and your people, are proud of you Xeren, continue to make them proud."

"I don't know what to say other than thank you, I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough for all you've done and told me. But I don't even know where to start, heck I don't even know what part of the desert this is!"

"To the east is a military settlement, fort Omanisha, under command of Kuvira's, or the great uniter as she prefers, forces. Show that amulet I gave you to the commanding officer there and tell them you were sent by and are a student of Toph Befong, Kuvira and daughter go way back, though they are not on the best of terms right now, they still respect each other for the most part. at least i hope they do, for your sake."

"Again, thank you Toph, for everything. Also, if you don't mind me asking, where do you plan to go?"

"Hmmm, where am I going?" Toph thought out loud. "I think I'll go to the swamp, I have a certain feeling I'll need to help someone there soon, just as I've helped you here. Call it a hunch. I hope I meet you again sometime, you can show me any new bricks you've learned." With that, Toph bid her farewell one last time and with a smile, gathered her pack and began to bend the sand around her and surf away.

"Well Xeren," Xeren though out loud to himself "this marks the beginning of the rest of your life." He then bent the sand in front of him into a slab of glass about six feet by two feet, and made sure to compress and harden it as best he could. Standing on top of the slab, he took a wide sideways stance and began bending the sand underneath the glass and moved forward, speeding off towards the east, feeling that he would be seeing her again soon, one way or another, for some strange reason.

Chapter end, authors note begin. How was that so far, Like it? Hate it? review anyway. then read chapter two. If you want to.


	2. Layover Trouble at the Fort

Hello! author here, ill be holding auditions for OCs, as this story will be heading (spoiler) into a different time period, as hinted at in the first chapters authors note. If anyone here reading submitted an OC for SpirtualCrusader's story, feel free to submit them here, if they're with Xeren in the Canon universe, they'll find there way to him in this one, somehow or another. Also, the OC form can be found on my profile, and OCs can be either PMed or submitted in reviews. Authors note end

Chapter 2

Xeren had been travelling for a day, going on two now, and the supplies he had gotten from Toph were starting to run low. The compass he had fitted into the front of his glass sandboard told him he was nearing the edge of the desert, and the once expansive dunes were starting to level out, and plant life was becoming more and more common every mile he sand surfed. As he crested the last small dune he saw what appeared to be, through his goggles, a small group of buildings surrounded by a stone wall, and a rail depot coming in through the back. "_That must be the fort Toph mentioned, __Omanisha__ I think she said. I sure hope she was right about them being able to help me."_ As he neared the fort, he could make out soldiers garbed in earth nation military outfits stationed on the walls motion for the gate to be closed, and seconds later the gate thudded into the sand. As Xeren neared the front of the gate, he slowed the flow of the sand to a stop and dismounted the slab of glass he was riding on. The soldiers stationed on the wall by the gate gave Xeren befuddled looks, likely towards his mode of transportation.

"No sanctuary in Omanisha, Sand Nomad," the soldier chose the last words carefully, as to not accidentally offend the young sand bender, "keep moving or we will be forced to take action in order to force you to move on"

Tossing the flying boar amulet Toph had given to him up to the soldier, the soldier catching it using metal bending. "I was told if I showed this amulet here, I would be welcomed and given aid in some form!" Xeren shouted up to the man guarding the gate.

Looking at the amulet Xeren had given him in wonderment, the guard started in shock "You.. I don't believe.. Yes sir, very sorry. Ill open the gate directly." The two guards raised clenched hands in the air, metal bending the gate open. Xeren walked through the gate, bending his glass board up against the inside wall, making sure to use the sand to do so as to not reveal his newfound ability. "Right this way sir, you'll be relieved to know, Kuvira herself is at the fort right now overseeing the reinforcement and replacement of troops in the fort. She'll know exactly what to do with you, and shell be thrilled to give you direction." the soldier jabbered out to Xeren, rushing down the stairs to lead Xeren to the forts biggest building. "Go in and enter the first door on the right. Make yourself comfortable, I shall fetch the commander immediately." the soldier hurried off in the direction of the train depot. Xeren entered the building, bending the sand off himself as to not make a mess. He figured first impressions were very important on people outside the desert. When he entered, he was greeted by something he only ever knew after night fell: cool air. Being a native from the desert, Xeren had never experienced modern air conditioning. Still revelling in the refreshing cool air, Xeren entered the room he was directed to and was in the most richly furnished room he had ever laid eyes on. The room itself was not very large, being only thirteen by ten feet at most. A large, lavish, silken rug, decorated with the earth kingdom symbol graced most of the centre of the room. in the very canter of the room was a desk, two chairs on one side, and one impressive looking high backed chair on the other. the desk was mostly barren, a few pieces of paper and a pen here or there were all that lay on the desk. It was as if someone had packed up in a hurry, and left just as fast. Xeren also noticed a strange, small black box in the back of the room making a low humming noise. Xeren walked towards the back of the room and was inspecting the box with curiosity, when the door opened behind him.

"I don't suppose you've ever seen one of those, have you, growing up as a native in the Si Wong desert." Xeren jumped up straight, frightened by the sudden intrusion during the inspection of the strange humming box, and turned around to see who had come in the room. The woman behind him was beautiful, in a striking powerful way. In her mid to late twenties, Xeren guessed, the woman wore her dark brown hair short, and was wearing a variant of an Earth Nation military officer outfit, heavy with metal plating. Her face was soft, but powerful at the same time. "Would you like a drink?" the woman asked. "I presume you don't drink, you dont seem of age."

Xeren being quite parched, not having drank from his water skin upon entering the fort, and a soldier having taken his pack from him. "Yes, thank you." Xeren responded, being as polite as he could. Despite this woman's beauty, Xeren felt she commanded extreme power. To his amazement, the woman pulled on a side of the box to reveal the white shelved interior, lined with drinks of all sorts, and a rush of cool air coming out as she opened it.

"Water or juice?" the woman asked.

"Juice, thank you." Xeren replied, excited on the inside, juice was only served on special occasions in his tribe, and was very expensive to trade for.

Taking out two bottles of juice from the box, the woman motioned for Xeren to sit in one of the two smaller chairs, while she sat down in the bigger one. Kuvira sat down and slid one bottle over to Xeren, opening the top of hers with metal bending. Xeren did likewise, and the woman took note of it. "So it is true, the amulet is as good as any certificate, and that demonstration proves it. You really are, or at least were, a student of Toph Beifong. And a good one at that, given the tier of amulet she gave you. Only her daughters and a few other students of hers have received such a tier of recognition from her."

Xeren was surprised at the woman's explanation of the amulet Toph had given him. He was confused as to why she would honour him to that extent when he could barely metal bend the cap off his juice bottle. She must have lots of faith in his ability, Xeren thought. "Yes, that's why I'm here," Xeren started to explain, "my name is Xeren Stalawan, and I recently finished training with Toph in the desert. She sent me here to contact the leader of this fort to get help on, forging my own destiny, or something. That's the way she said it or something anyway."

"Hmm, yes." the woman nodded, seeming to be thinking about the information she had heard. "I am Kuvira, no doubt you have heard at least something about me, I apologise for not introducing myself earlier. As for your last name, that explains the seal on the back of the amulet. To keep it short, lets just say I know where you and your parents come from, and I know your situation."

"_Seal?" _Xeren thought. He had seen something on the back of the amulet, an impression of an eagle folding its wings around a seven pointed star. Xeren thought it had just been a design Toph had made on the back, to show off her ability or something. he was glad he hadn't ended up practicing on the amulet after all.

"It is imperative that you get to Republic City as soon aspossible, you need to know things I'm not authorised to tell you. and believe me, you need to know them." Kuvira continued talking, taking a pack of papers out of the drawer of the desk. Xeren noticed it had the same seal as his amulet. "Take this packet of papers, and your amulet, and show them to Tenzin on air temple island Republic City. you will find your pack on my train, we leave in two hours. you are more important than a routine check." Xeren had just arrived at his destination, no more than fifteen minutes ago, and he was off again, and on the Great Uniter's personal train no less. And he hadn't even gotten to take a sip of his juice.

Xeren stood from his seat and put the amulet around his neck, scooped up the packet of papers he had been given and, not forgetting his juice, exited the room. Arriving on the outside of the forts main building, Xeren replaced his goggles in the intensified light and looked around the camp. He had two hours to kill and only one bottle of juice. Leaning against the gritty stone wall, he sipped from his juice bottle. Kuvira had mentioned something about the camp being remodelled or something to that extent, and upon further inspection, Xeren could see that soldiers and builders were hurrying around the camp doing various chores. The part of the wall facing the desert, which Xeren had entered through had been clad in metal, and was being scrubbed and polished by soldiers, while metal plating was being added to the wall near the rear of the fort and the Train depot. Xeren had time to kill, and while he didn't think he was experienced enough in metal bending to help with the plating on the rear of the fort, he thought he could help with the scrubbing and polishing of the front of the fort. Melting and moulding his glass juice bottle into a sphere, like the metal Toph made his amulet from, and putting it into a pouch on his belt, Xeren approached the soldier who seemed to be overseeing the work at the front of the fort. "Hello my good sir, my name is Xeren, I was wondering if I could be of help perhaps with what you and your men are doing here?"

"Oh, hello sand sav-er nomad, didn't see you there. Kuvira's orders were just to make sure you felt at ease until the train departs, no need for you to help us.

ignoring the slip up in the soldiers reply, Xeren responded, "Oh no, its no trouble sir, I've two hours to kill and nothing to do. I insist." Xeren looked to where the soldiers were trying to polish and scrub a corrosion stain out of the metal wall plating. "Could you perhaps call for your men to move away from the stain for a moment?" The officer motioned for his men to move away, a puzzled look on his face as to what Xeren was going to do. Xeren moved in front of the corrosion on the wall and placed his chin thinking about how to approach it. Gathering some energy, Xeren pulled a stream of sand up in front of him and blasted it at the corrosion, feeding the bender made sand blaster with more sand from the ground. after a few minutes, Xeren stopped and observed the now shining wall. Turning around, proud with his handiwork, he walked towards the officer and his men, who were now rubbing sand out of their eyes and hair. "Oh, my bad guys, I forgot you don't have goggles and a head wrap like I do, I should have warned you."

"No trouble at all, erm, Seren did you say?"

"Xeren" Xeren corrected him

"Right, Xeren," the Officer continued, "you just cut an hour or two off our days work with your sand bending. A little grit in our eyes is no trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble at all." Xeren replied sheepishly. Wanting to change the subject off of himself, Xeren continued the conversation. "so, um, how is serving under Kuvira anyhow?"

"Oh, um well," the officer stuttered out, looking towards the helmeted elite guards stationed near the front gate, "working under the great uniter has been a blessing not only for me, but the whole empire, she is just wonderful."

"_Empire_" Xeren thought. "_I know my tribe hadn't seen any traders for a long time, but they always referred to it as the Earth kingdom. Weird_" Xeren was snapped out of his thoughts by a whisper from behind a nearby barracks wall.

"Psst, hey sand guy. Over here." he heard from behind the building. Xeren walked around the back of the building to find a worker there, one of the builders Xeren had observed. "_They must be separate from the military_" Xeren thought to himself. "Good, none of those creepy elite guards around," the worker continued, keeping his voice low, "don't listen to what the others tell you, they're just scarred. Not to say that I'm not, but I have the courtesy to at least get the truth to you. Kuvira's empire ain't all sunshine fun and rainbows kid. I was conscripted as a worker for the good of the nation." the worker explained, putting air quotes around the last part. "If its for the good of the nation, then why haven't I seen my wife or kids in three months, and why don't I know where they are. Not everyone loves Kuvira kid." The worker finished gruffly, as he walked away "Remember that." The worker scurried unnoticed to go fulfil some duty or another, leaving Xeren standing behind the barracks, chilled by the older mans revelation.

"I'd just try and be careful make it to republic city in one piece" Xeren muttered to himself. Xeren figured he'd better just wait on the train, as to not make any commotion in the camp. Xeren walked to his glass sandboard first, remembering the compass still mounted in it from his journey to the fort. Prying it out of the glass, he put it into one of the larger pouches in his belt. Who knows, it way come in handy for something. Continuing on toward the train depot, Xeren walked through the train doors, showing his amulet to the guards in order to get through. upon entering the train, Xeren was stopped by an attendant.

"Ah yes, I've been waiting for you to board sir. It will take a few days to reach the city, and as such you will be staying in the guest chambers in the first car. That's this one. Take care as you pass the great uniter's office, though she is in an important meeting. Good day sir"

Waving to the attendant, Xeren made his way down the hall to the large lavish metal doors he assumed to be the entrance to Kuvira's office. "_I know I told myself I'd try to keep out of trouble, but I can't shake what that worker told me. What's the worst that could happen?_" Xeren thought to himself. Crouching by the door window to the door of Kuvira's office, Xeren observed her speaking into some sort of tube with a conical device on top. A phone maybe, Xeren had heard of those from traders, but still wasn't quite sure. Focussing more, Xeren tried to hear what Kuvira was saying. "Need I remind Thronak that he is no longer a red lotus terrorist? He works for me now, for the empire. I told him to maintain order in the desert, not destroy its savage tribes and send sand savages running to my forts for assistance. How am I supposed to maintain and expand my empire to the rest of the world when I cant control a desert?" Xeren's breath caught in his throat. Did she say the world? Not good, Xeren had to make sure to tell this Tenzin guy when he got to the city. broken from his thoughts, Xeren heard Kuvira continue. "I have been merciful thus far, tell Thronak this is his last chance, and that he can't scorch anything if he has no hands." with that he heard the clunk as Kuvira slammed the phone down. Turning to one of her guards, Kuvira restarted her ranting, "I just hate when people under my command can't follow simple sets of orders." turning towards the doors, she continued, "but what I especially hate," Xeren's heartbeat started to accelerate, his breathing becoming more hurried. "Is when I show hospitality to a savage, and they have the gall to eavesdrop." The doors suddenly slid open in front of Xeren, Kuvira standing over him, literally, as he was still crouched down. extending her arms, making metal strips cuff the arms and legs of Xeren, who was now trying to hurry away. Two guards circled around him and held him up in front of Kuvira. "I cant have you going to republic city with this information," Kuvira explained, cold emerald eyes boring into Xeren's skull, hands on her hips. "guards, subdue him further, and transfer him to the prison car. Make sure he has the cell to himself. I don't expect him to wake up, but even so, we cant be too careful now."

"What do you mean wake up?" Xeren gulped, turning to look at one of the guards holding him. The last thing Xeren felt was cold steel on the back of his head, and the last thing he saw were stars clouding his view of Kuvira's cold smile as she peered over him."

"Don't worry savage, I have something special planned for you. Enjoy your nap." with that, Xeren's vision went completely dark.


	3. Impending doom, and some Tea

Authors note: hey people, author here with my ever present before chapter note. Just some people don't start raging about things, this story looks at what Kuvira is like when her plans advance faster, and she I much more warmongery, at least in the timeline Xeren is from, read and enjoy!

o0o

Xeren groaned to a painful, but aware consciences, as the door to his personnel cell was thrown open by a guard. The back of his head felt as if a thousand buzzard wasps had been pecking at it, and his ankles and wrists were rubbed raw and sore from the platinum shackles that held him. The guard attached a chain to Xeren's cuffs and roughly pulled him to his feet. "Time to get moving, we've got somethin' real special planned savage." Xeren could almost feel the guard smiling coldly at him from beneath his helmet.

"And what would that be?" Xeren questioned, with a slight twinge of hope that it was a nice lunch and an apology. A painful kick in the back, signaling him to keep walking was the only reply the guard gave him. Xeren was marched out of the train, and into the outside, where he learned that he was no longer in the desert outpost he had been detained in. Observing as much as he could through the splitting headache and his cracked goggles, Xeren observed his bleak surroundings. Not much surrounded him, the train depot they had arrived at was connected to what looked like a large storage warehouse, and across from that was what seemed to be a large ghost town. Another kick roused Xeren from his observation of the area as the guard signaled for him to walk towards the abandoned town. Once they had reached the town, Xeren was led to a small barn, and chained to a support pole in the middle. As Xeren sat down as best he could on the dusty floor, the guard turned to him.

"Don't get so comfortable now, the comander'll be back with a little friend for you. Looks like even savages don't die alone." Xeren spat at the guard as he left the barn. Xeren again looked at his surroundings, assessing his situation. Assessment complete. Verdict, bad. Very bad. Xeren especially didn't like the part the guard had mentioned about dying. with nothing else to do, he resigned himself to wait for what was coming. Xeren waited for an hour or so, until he heard footsteps coming to the entrance of the barn. Kuvira walked in accompanied by two guards pushing a new face in front of them. The boy they held in chains looked to be about Xeren's age, and just slightly taller. His Dark hair and black shirt were matted with dirt and grime, likely from being in a prison cell like his Xeren noted. "_My clothes just hide the dirt better. At least I'll die in style?_". The boys amber eyes, full of determination, even after being captured. Xeren noted an extra binding on his comrade in bonds though.

"How come he has a metal strip around his mouth and I don't?" Xeren questioned the entourage stationed before him.

"You don't breath fire at me." stated Kuvira simply. She motioned for the other boy to be chained next to Xeren, as she sat on an earthen chair she had bent. "I'm going to put this simply for you both. You crossed me, you found out what you shouldn't have, and now you both will die. No way around it. But take pride in knowing that your death is helping the Earth Empire advance its technology. Varrik tells me the weapon is highly unstable, something about tearing holes into someplace else? I didn't really care to listen to him. All I know is that it destroys things, and I want a test run. You are the test run." Xeren turned to face the boy chained next to him, both with worried expressions on their faces. Kuvira held up a radio as she exited the building, "Fire as soon as we're clear. And don't miss." The expressions on the boys' faces grew further distressed as they struggled in their binds. Kuvira walked out of the barn, and to a viewing platform on the far outskirts of the town, turning around just in time for a beam of purple light shoot from the storage warehouse, to the town, centering on the barn her prisoners we're in, followed by the loudest noise she'd heard in her life. Once the smoke had settled, she observed that now demolished barn, and town, and the hole in the hillside next to it. "Test complete, high priority spies dealt with." Kuvira whispered to herself, a cold smile spreading across her face as her men hailed the Earth Empire, and the Great Uniter.

o0o

Xeren saw a bright flash of purple light come towards him, and consume his entire vision. Replacing the burning and/or vaporizing sensation he guessed would have came next, was a feeling more akin to when you sit on your legs for too long. Except this was on his entire body. The feeling was over as soon as it began, the purple light that had consumed the two boys was replaced with the sight of a lush green meadow, and the ear wrenching sound of impending doom was replaced by the sound of a stream somewhere in the background. Standing up, the bonds that held the boys apparently not accompanying them, they flexed their wrists and looked at the scenery before them. "We've died. This is heaven." the boy standing next to Xeren muttered.

"Yep, definitely." Xeren murmured.

"Not quite, but there _is_ plenty of tea!" the excited voice caused the boys to whirl around and find a table laden with many kinds tea and desserts. Spirits of all shapes crowded around it, and seated at the center of the table was a happy looking older man, his gray hair flowing down his head and face, and his body draped with a traditional fire nation robe. "Come, sit, have some tea. You two look tired, from whatever it is that brought you here. I knew it was a good idea to have tea in the Valley of Time today, I love guests. It makes the tea taste so much better." The man motioned for the two very bewildered boys to sit at the table across from him as he sipped on a cup of steaming tea. They figured why not, and sat on the cushions across from the jolly man.

"Wait a minute, I know who you are," revelation dawning on the face of Xeren's companion.

"I don't.." Xeren interjected.

"Quiet you," the other boy waved his hand at Xeren to quiet him, "Spirits gathered 'round you, the tea, the happy aura emanating around you! You must be Iroh, Iroh the first. I've heard tons of stories about you!"

"Hohohoha, good to finally meet you Azar. I'm glad my great great great nephew recognizes his uncle Iroh." Iroh exclaimed, the joy showing on his face. "Wait a moment. You shouldn't be this old yet…" He trailed off.

"I know, this is going to sound crazy to you guys, but I'm from the future. I was on a political trip to the north pole, as I'm next in line for the Fire Nation throne. I was being given a tour of the area around the spirit portal, and I somehow got sucked into it, then somehow ended up in one of Kuvira's camps in the past." Azar began to explain. "they thought I was a spy, threw me in a cell, and then blasted me into the spirit world again it seems with this guy." Azar finished, pointing a thumb to a waving Xeren seated next to him.

"Yeah, hi, I'm Xeren, just so we're all on a first name basis here, I'm from the desert, as you can prolly tell," Xeren started off, pointing to his traditional sand bender clothing, "um, lets see here, my first village was raided and my parents killed, then the survivors and I joined with another tribe where I as raised my teacher, also may have been my grandpa, that was never really explained to me. Kind of a stuffy old guy, but still nice like Iroh here. Liked Pai Sho, I think I have his old pipe and some tiles here…" Xeren then began to feel at the pouches on his belt as he trailed off into nonsense.

"Ahem, back to the important stuff?" Azar coughed, urging Xeren to get on with it.

"Oh yeah, right. Then, very recently actually, like a few days or so ago, my current tribe was again raided and my teacher told me to escape on our sand sailor. Then I may have gotten into a wreck with a sand worm and was stranded in the desert until I was found by Toph, cool right, I'm just meeting all the historical figures, who helped me learn lava and metal bending and also invent glass bending. when we split paths, she told me to go to a fort under Kuvira's control. I'm guessing she didn't know Kuvira is wolfbatshit insane with power now, and wants to take over the world. After I found that out, she deemed me a threat, and I ended up with Azar here. That's pretty much my life story." Xeren finished, smiling at a bewildered Iroh and Azar.

"Wait, why are yo-" Azar started to question.

"Oh wait, I also play trombone." Xeren added eagerly, smiling and making trombone motions with his hands.

"As I was saying," Azar started again, "Why do you seem so chipper about all this. Your whole family, and everyone you know is dead?"

"eh," Xeren shrugged, "I was depressed when I was with Toph, horrible person to spend a depressed period with by the way, I'm pretty much over it. My parents died a long time ago, sure I miss them, but I already mourned them, and the only person I really got along with at my new tribe was my teacher and/or Grandpa, and he basically told me he was going to die within the month anyway. he was like A Hundred and something, real old. I mourned him while with Toph. I kinda of just wanna punch Kuvira in the face right now, ya know?" Azar nodded in agreement at that last statement.

"Well for now, I think you ought to just rest, make a plan, and of course have some tea." Iroh motioned to the table in front of them. "I will be as much assistance as I can. Now, do you prefer Ginseng, Raspberry, or Lemon?"

o0o

Authors note: How's that cliffhanger, eh? don't worry, the next chapter is in its works, and Xeren and Azar will be on their way, wit the help of Iroh and some tea. Have a great day guys, and leave a review if you feel it. also, Still open to anyone who wants to draw things for this story, also let me know in the reviews how you feel about the length, as this one is shorter than chapters one and two, which do you prefer?


	4. Tea, Time, and Tea Time

Authors note: We rejoin Azar and Xeren as they confer with Iroh over some tea on the best plan of action. Try not to get too confused at some of the explanations, and always, enjoy.

o0o

"What's a Ginseng?" Xeren questioned Iroh, not having heard of the herb in his life in the desert, cautiously sniffing at the steaming cup of tea in his hand, wary of it being some ort of poison.

"Why it's _delicious_!" Iroh enthused back, happy to see someone try a new type of tea.

"Back to the matter at hand," Azar reminded them, sipping on his own lemon tea, "We're trapped in the spirit world, remember? Not to mention I'm outside my timeline. Anyone wanna tell me why Kuvira's already at least two years ahead of where she's supposed to be, if I can believe history that is."

"I believe that I may be able to offer an explanation for that." Xeren and Azar turned to see a small silver and cream colored fox climb onto the far end of the table. "allow me to introduce myself, I am Reliquum, spirit of time and keeper of balance."

"There you are Relq, I almost thought you weren't going to show up for tea. But, I suppose this is your meadow after all." Iroh greeted the spirit.

"You don't look like a spirit, you just look like a fancy fox…" Azar interjected, trying his best to not offend the spirit. The she-fox turned her head towards Azar, eyes glowing a sharp minty green color.

"I have lived a thousand lifetimes in a thousand time periods mortal. I'll ask you: do you favor the pants you currently wear?" Reliquum snapped at Azar in an annoyed manner. Azar glanced down at his lavish red pants, neatly tucked into ornate black and gold firenation boots, held up by a golden belt crested by the symbol of his people. They were indeed some very nice pants.

"Well, yeah, they where pretty expensive, although I don't know why you would as-" Azar started to say, a confused look on his face at the spirit's question.

"I will hold off on showing my true form for now then, we wouldn't want you to soil them, would we?" The time spirit offered.

"Oh…" Azar said flatly, a somewhat scared expression coming on his face as the fox somehow started grinning at him.

"Now, back to current matters," the spirit continued, making itself comfortable on top of the table, as if what she had to say would take some time, "for you to understand the whole of the situation that is occurring, I must explain the way time works to you. Think of time as a river. This river has other rivers branching off of it, eventually forming branches of their own. Each branch is formed by choices people make everyday, big and small. Some things however, are persistent through all destinies, such as the formation of the avatar, and the defeat of Fire lord Ozai after the hundred years war. These points in time are where the rivers cross and intersect. These things _always_ happen. Something is ruining the flow of time, however, and you can imagine who gets in trouble for that." the spirit paused after the first part of her explanation.

"Is it Kuvira's Spirit weapon? That's what sent Xeren end me here." Azar motioned towards the young sand bender who was restraining himself from fidgeting with all the ornate tea related objects on the table.

"No, it may be directly linked, but It's not the source. This is something much more powerful, not created by mortals. No offense. That brings me on to another topic. You." The fox moved to sit in front of Xeren, who peered down at her, still trying to comprehend her explanation of time.

"What, why me, I swear I didn't do it!" Xeren started to put up his defense for anything the age old spirit may accuse him of.

"The only thing you _did_ was exist the way you did. I've watched every timeline countless times, I've watched every life play out to its end a thousand times, even yours."

"That's creepy.." Xeren muttered.

"Be quiet. as I was saying, I've seen every timeline, and now you come along and I read your aura, and see that you're from a timeline that shouldn't even exist, and begins with you escaping from your village during its second raid. That isn't possible, a persons timeline starts when they're born, and diverges from there, not at a major life event." The spirit interrogated the confused boy from the desert.

"You're asking me this?" Xeren asked in shock at the fox spirit's revelation. "are you saying that I wasn't even born, how does that work"

"It doesn't." Reliquum continued her explanation "It can't, it isn't even possible, yet it happened."

"What about me, what about my river?" Azar interrupted the fox.

"Don't worry, your river is out of whack too. Although I can't see very far down Xeren's river. I can feel enough through his aura to tell that any mortal who has major interactions with this kid for more than a few minutes, they get thrown out of their timelines, and into his somehow."

"Gee, thanks Xeren." Azar replied, his comment dripping with sarcasm.

"Hey, it isn't like I asked for some greater power to go splashing around in my time river dude!" Xeren replied in his defense.

"I was joking, besides I have a feeling that wherever we're going is going to be more interesting than political visits to the north pole. Not as cold too." Azar reassured his new friend.

"Continuing on the subject of where we're going," Reliquum continued, hopping off the table, "follow me, if you would please. The integrity of the flow of time does depend on it."

"Wait, what do you mean we?" Xeren asked, he and Azar following the fox through the meadow to a nearby cliff side on the edge of the meadow.

"This mess is directly linked to you Xeren, which means you'll be directly involved one way or another, and sense that your spirit is meant for good. These problems stem from not only the past, but the future as well. You can't expect to fix it without the spirit of time, and as for Azar here, I doubt he wants to stay behind in the spirit world." Reliquum told Xeren as they reached the edge of the cliff. Peering over the cliff into a large canyon, they saw a sprawling river. "As this is the meadow of time, you may have guessed the down there is _the_ river of time. As in the actual river of time."

"So why are we perched on a cliff looking over it?" Azar questioned.

"That's the only way for a mortal to get into it, silly." Reliquum replied.

"wait a sec… no. No no no, I refuse." Azar started to object, backing away from the cliff.

"Come on, she said it's the only way in. You can swim cant you?" Xeren tried to comfort his companion, pushing him back towards the cliff side.

"Of course I can," Azar shot back hotly, "I'm just a tad worried about falling thousands of feet into a river in a canyon inside the freaking spirit world."

"Whoa, look at the size of that Boar-q-pine!" Xeren said, pointing to Azar's left.

"What Boar-q….," Azar started, looking over his shoulder, "Aaaah! Xeren, you asshole! Azar shouted, as Xeren gave him a push over the edge. Waving to Iroh, and promising to come back for tea sometime, Xeren jumped over the edge after Azar.

"Say, how does this work?" Xeren asked the spirit fox, now in freefall beside him.

"I don't know how it'll feel for you, but I can at least use my power to make sure we end up in the same time period. Also, since you're causing so many unformed timelines, my power won't be able to do too much for us." Reliquum warned.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. Just make sure we land somewhere cool." Xeren reassured his new spirit companion.

"No promises." the fox smirked at him. Landing with what normally would have been a bone shattering force, Xeren was engulfed by the water, and his vision was engulfed by white.

o0o

Authors note: I know that was even shorter than the last one, but how was that, did you guys like it? It felt longer to erite, what with trying to adequately convey that explanation of time and all that. Don't worry, the next one'll be longer, as they'll actually have landed in a different timeline and all that. It felt especially epic to write, as when I wrote the last half, I was listening to the Legend of Korra soundtrack, and the epic like, revelation music from book 1 came on, and it was just great. Be sure to leave a review, and as always thanks so much for reading! have a wonderful day. or whatever time it is for you… it's like 4:30 in the morning for me right now….


	5. Concentration Camp

The equalist chi-blocker listened to his captain drone on as they sped toward an outpost on a military jeep, alongside the rest of his squad. After the Earth Kingdom was thrown into chaos and Kuvira had seized control, the underground equalist forces took their chance to rise up and try to take control, to wipe bending away from the earth while it was in turmoil. That had been forty years prior, and with Avatar Korra gone, dead of natural causes for nineteen years now, the newly forged equalist movement had been quick to invade the earth empire, to try and find the new Avatar. What they did not expect was for the earth empire to forge an alliance with the other bending nations against the equalist state, forming the benders enduring and resisting coalition, or the BEAR Co as they dubbed themselves now. They were speeding towards an area not far from a bender concentration camp the squad was occupying, an area that had abnormally high spirit aura readings for the past week. Higher command was convinced it was linked to the avatar. The jeep rumbled to a halt at what appeared to be a hastily made camp, in the middle of nowhere. Before the chi-blockers could hop off the jeep, an earsplitting thunderclap rent the air around them, as if waiting for their arrival. A green rift in the sky opened up, and promptly dumped two young men, and quite a bit of water out of it. The boys landed and the water dissipated in what seemed to be fog or mist. The equalists surrounding the boys stood in bewilderment as the boys in their center stood up and began to get their bearings.

"That is the last time I let you push me off a cliff." Azar gruffly told his companion standing to brush the dirt off him

"Come on, you cannot tell me that wasn't fun." Xeren countered, bending the dirt off himself, both of them not noticing the garrison of soldiers around them, until they heard the clack of rifles unsheathing, and the crackle of electric batons.

"Benders! Stand down and get on your knees, hands in the air!" The commander of the garrison yelled into a bullhorn. "Try anything and we shoot the fire bender!"

"What!?" Azar yelled in distress, doing as the soldiers told him, "Why me!?"

"Because," a nearby soldier started with a sneer, "We wouldn't take a risk of your friend being the Avatar, and having him reincarnate." Xeren and Azar looked to each other in confusion. The avatar? Xeren's time river or whatever may have been out of sync, but he certainly wasn't the Avatar. They knew that.

"Great." Xeren muttered under his breath as his wrists were bound in platinum for the second time in less than two days. "Nothing like being captured is there."

"You know it." Azar agreed sarcastically.

o0o

Xeren and Azar had been shackled, shoved into the back of a prisoner transport jeep, and told to be quiet for the duration of their ride. Where they were heading, they knew not. Xeren was about to whisper to Azar about a plan of action, when his head seared with a surprisingly un-painful heat, and his brown eyes pooled with emerald light. Both Azar and the soldiers in the van were taken back in shock, and the soldiers readied their pistols in case anything happened. Xeren noticed none of these, as he was in another place: his own head.

"Spirits," Xeren groaned, his vision coming into focus, "what the hell is going on now."

"Xeren, you need to focus. There's not much time for me do talk to you like this, and the link is weak right now." A hazy mirage of a silver fox wavered in front of Xeren, the only other thing in the void of white. "Find- Avatar. Imperative that you- the Avatar. When you need me again- inside yourself." The spirits voice was unclear, like static on an old radio. Before she flickered completely out, Xeren heard one thing. "-power is yours. We-connected. We-as one. -not fail." With that, Reliquum flickered completely out, and so did Xeren's vision.

o0o

To say Azar was freaking out was a mild understatement. Xeren was sitting next to him, eyes wide open, shining emerald light replacing the dark brown irises normally present, and an utmost calm on his face. It was not often that his friends were possessed. And he also didn't like pistols being pointed at him and his companion either. "Don't worry guys," Azar tried to reassure their captors, failing to hide the slight fear that cracked his voice, "he's just, umm, uh… napping! his eyes just glow when he does that sometimes…" Azar's pleading did not sway the guns pointed at him, cold masked faces staring over the guns at him. Just as suddenly as his eyes had started shining, they stopped, and Xeren slumped over in his seat, unconscious. "Fantastic." Azar muttered, shaking the sand bender's head from his shoulder, the guns remaining trained on them for the remainder of the ride.

Just as the doors to their temporary prison were opened, Xeren groaned back into a groggy consciousness. He really didn't like this whole going unconscious thing. At all. The two boys were shuffled out of the van, and beheld the walls of the concentration camp before them, complete with barbed wire and watch towers. Somehow they got the inkling Kuvira had actually been doing a service when she tried to kill them, albeit a terribly rude and unkind one. "Fire bender, with me." a soldier commanded, shoving Azar to the left entrance, while another took Xeren to the right. "You'll be staying with the water benders and the rest of your kind, while your friend will have his own kind for company." Azar didn't object, not that he could with a stun baton to the ribs anyway.

"before you join your other filthy earth comrades, the commander will want to have a look at you." The soldier leading Xeren informed him, chaining Xeren to the table in the interrogation room he was led into. neither noticed the face of the clock had cracked, and it had stopped moving. The soldier left him, and Xeren waited no less than about five minutes for a man in a higher ranked looking uniform and multipurpose equalist mask to walk in. The commander, Xeren supposed. He was followed by what looked to be a scientist pushing a cart with him. on the cart was a large ovular rock, a bowl of water, a candle, and a pinwheel. The Scientist set the rock in front of Xeren, and it stood on one of its narrower ends. The scientist smiled grimly at Xeren, proceeding to put the bowl of water in front of him. Nothing happened. A frown forming, on his lips, the scientist scribbled on a clip board and set the candle in front of Xeren, lighting it with a match. Nothing. The scientist, now frustrated, repeated with the pinwheel. Same results. Still frowning, the scientist turned to the commander, "Earth is positive, other elements negative, sir."

Nodding to the soldiers stationed behind Xeren, the commander spoke, "Confiscate his possessions and throw him out in the yard with the other dirt dwellers. Redouble the testing tomorrow, I want the Avatar found, if they reside in this camp." Xeren was unchained from the table, and led to the earth bender compound, essentially just a large courtyard with many earth benders held captive inside, guards patrolling the walls, vigilant for any rocks to fly. Or more importantly, any of the other three elements.

"I guess prisoners these days aren't even afforded inside cells these days" Xeren grumbled as he noticed the sun dip lower under the horizon. Looking around the prison yard, more important things came to mind. He had to find Azar. He also had to find the Avatar before these mask dudes did. he also had to escape without being shot too. That'd be fun.

"New prisoner?" Xeren whirled around to find himself being addressed by a girl with striking fire red hair. Xeren would have thought her a fire bender, but her deep emerald eyes suggested otherwise. Her hair was held in a single braid falling to her mid back, and she stood almost as high as Xeren. Her tattered earth nation clothes and boots suggested she'd been here for a while. "Bit of advice, though if you have common sense you'd guess this, don't earth bend unless you want a bullet in your back or a stun baton in your side. For now though, you can stick with me. You missed dinner, or what they give us for it, but here, take this, as a gesture of our kinship in prisonership." The girl held a chunk of dark brown bread out to Xeren. "I'm Jayla. Pleased to make your acquaintance mister sand dude." the girl ended, noting Xeren's clothing.

"Call me Xeren" Xeren half smiled, shaking her hand and munching on the bread.

o0o

Author's note: So, sorry I haven't updated in like forever. School started back up, and I switched schools with the new semester, and so I've been a bit busy. I'm already working on the next chapter to compensate though, and it should be out by Friday if not before! In other news, expect at least one chapter, maybe two a week from now on unless I let you guys know otherwise. Also, I don't need any more OC's, thanks for everyone who submitted, you'll see yours in there one way at some time (no pun intended) or another, promise. Also, I'm changing the title, as the story is obviously going beyond "a retelling of book four". As always, hope you liked it, and be sure to leave a review.


	6. Heated Escape

Authors note: Longer chapter, ahoy! I'm sic today, and decided to just knock the rest of it out when I was away from school and all. Also to anyone wondering, Jayla is one my OC's, and is a major plot device, as you'll see. It also just wouldn't be fair to other people if I used one persons OC for her role, you'll see what I mean. Enjoy!

o0o

Xeren had been in the camp a week so far. Each night haunted with dreams of Reliquum. "_You must find the Avatar. You must not fail."_ She seemed certain enough that the Avatar was in the camp with him, but it was starting to wear a bit on Xeren, even with his new friend in Jayla. He'd been able to talk with Azar a bit, the prisoners all received their meager rations twice a day at the same place in between the prison yards, and he had told Azar about Reliquum's message and his dreams. Azar joked about Xeren being the first ever time bender when he got to the part about the fox spirit saying that her power was Xeren's. Xeren wasn't all sure it was a joke though, the fox seemed sure enough. He just wish he was able to tap into the power, but so far had been unable to make even a ripple in time. He was considering just cutting his losses, and lava bending his and Azar's way out of the camp, but he somehow knew the time spirit wouldn't like that. Over the time he spent there, he got to know Jayla a bit better, and she him. She had told him how her mother was an earth bender, but had died when she was still very young and had to try and figure out what she could on her own. Xeren told her if they ever got out, he'd show her what he knew. She also said her father and older sister were fire benders, and that's where she got her bright red hair from. She explained the current state of the world to Xeren, somehow she took his word that he was from the past. She just felt he had no reason to hide the truth, and just accepted it. She told him how her sister had gone off to join the BEARs, and shortly after her family's farm, now with just her father and her, had been raided by the equalists. Her father was shot trying to protect her, and she was taken captive since she was an earth bender. She was nine, that was ten years ago. Xeren could relate and explained about his family. They discussed interests and skills. Xeren explained the finer details of lock picking to her, "Being a desert nomad brings you to meet lots of other travelers," he explained "They know things you don't, and learning passes time well. How else does a desert native learn to play trombone?" Xeren decided that when he was to escape, he'd take her with him, if she wanted that was. Jayla gladly accepted, anywhere was better than her she had said. ten years was enough.

Xeren lay down in the dirt near the wall of the camp, ready for another stiff night of sleeping on the ground. "_And more Reliquum pestering me with that vision_" he thought as well. As it were, being imprisoned on meager rations with nothing to do but talk to his new friend was sufficiently tiring, and he let the night embrace him, pulling his desert duster closer to him for some warmth on the cold ground, thankful the soldiers had only taken his belt with its supply pouches. As he drifted off to sleep, he was greeted by the familiar white subspace that he guessed was his own head. He was disappointed that it wasn't more interesting. Something was different this time though. Something _felt_ different.

"Xeren!" Reliquum said his name as a command rather than a greeting, snapping the earth bender from his thoughts. "I Have a stable link to you this time, though I don't know how long it will last. You really need to connect with your spirit more, if only my spirit bond was with an air bender… But I digress. I feel you are close to the current goal, I can _feel_ it in the time stream around you. When the time comes, you need to tap into our shared power, but be warned, unlike other bending, this power is bent with your very essence, akin to the avatar state, but with more consequences. If you fall so do I, and though you will have great power, you need to hold back, lest it consume you. That would not be good. When you find the Avatar, you will need to escape. Don't forget Azar either. I fear I will not be able to make contact to you through my power again. I'm merging with your spirit, seek me out young one. Be ready, I have faith."

"Wait!" Xeren cried out, reaching for the already fading vision of the fox. He was basically told he had as much if not more power than the Avatar, but that it could kill him very easily. He had many questions. "Reliquum, not yet, I need answers." but try as he might to keep the fox in sight, his vision went dark with the end of the dream. Xeren awoke to a commotion in the prison yard.

"He's done nothing wrong. Leave the kid alone." Jayla stood in front of a small child of five or six, blocking him from an equalist. She was trying to keep her tone as smooth and non violent as she could. It was not working. As Xeren had found out during his lovely stay at the prison camp, the equalists loved taunting the earth benders, egging them to try and bend, then reminding them of the guns trained on their backs.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please, filthy bender." The equalist spat, shoving Jayla aside, and giving a rough kick to the child.

Jayla did not like this. In fact, it infuriated her. she felt a hatred so deep for the man in front of her, she herself knew not where it came from. How dare he kick a kid, they had done nothing wrong. At her breaking point, she cared not what would happen to her, this man need a beat down. She lunged her fist forward, intending for a rock to hit the equalist upside the head. What she had not intended was for her hatred to come spiraling out in the form of flames, as crimson as her hair. As the equalist screamed in shock, as well as pain, Jayla was as dumbstruck as the people around her, barely aware of the bullets melting from the extreme heat emanating from around her.

"Well shit," Xeren muttered, dumbstruck and blank faced. Reliquum said he was close, now he knew it. Xeren rushed forward to his friend. "Were leaving. Now!" with that, he swept his arms low, making a river of lava to separate them from the oncoming soldiers, splashing some at the walls to keep the bullets off him.

"How, in case you didn't notice, these walls are platinum, as well as highly heat resistant!" she managed to get out, still in awe of her still flaming hands.

"I'll think of something!" Xeren yelled back, erecting a wall of earth to shield them from the now recovering equalists. The urgency of the situation being just what he seemed to need to tap into Reliquum's and his newly shared power. Eyes suddenly glowing a vibrant green, Xeren seem to go on autopilot, putting his hands against the wall he was sleeping under not ten minutes prior. Making a ripping motion, a rip appeared in the wall, the same green around his eyes appearing around the rip, making it bear a significant resemblance to the rift he and Azar fell out of a week prior. Shoving Jayla through to the yard of the water and fire benders, he went through and closed the rift, eyes still ablaze with green. Glancing around the yard of shocked people, he found Azar and ran towards him. "Leaving. Now." was all he said, in a voice not his own, before rushing off to the wall of the compound nearby

"Xeren? Reliquum? What's going on?" Azar questioned, hurrying off the two earth benders. Xeren did not sound like himself, but rather his voice and Reliquum's speaking at the same time. Not waiting for an answer, he continued on, pausing only for Xeren to rip a hole in the compound wall and bend rocks at the soldiers inside. Moving with unnatural speed, he landed an uppercut on the last soldier in the room. Opening a cabinet nearby, and securing his belt as well as tossing Azar's satchel to him. He repeated the same words again

"Leaving. Now." he then proceeded to rip another hole in the wall, this time it leading outside a camp to a forest. Xeren ushered his companions out and then bent a river of lava into the building, covering their exit. They rushed down a the road leading through the forest, only to be tailed by three jeeps each with four chi blockers and soldiers hot on their tracks. Xeren was on autopilot in his possessed state, and Jayla was to excited and anxious to be able to do much bending, but Azar wasn't about to stand on the sidelines,

"Look like it's my turn," Azar said, turning around, "I may not be the Avatar, or some possessed time bender, but I still have a few talents."

"Azar, what are you doing!?" Jayla turned around, shocked to see Azar breathing deeply and looking calm at a time like this of all times. She soon got her answer, as Azar pointed his middle and pointer finger at an oncoming jeep, summoning a blast of lightning as he did. Having the desired effect, the lightning chained to the jeep behind the first, resulting in a satisfying explosion, taking out the third one. Smiling, and blowing the smoke from his fingers, Azar continued after his friends, now heading into the forest, abandoning the road. Xeren soon ushered them into a cave, sealing the entrance with a sweep of his arms.

"Sleep." That one word was all Xeren uttered before his eyes returned to their normal chocolate color, and he fell to the cave floor unconscious.

Azar dug in his satchel for an oil lamp he knew was in there, thankful that ReliXeren had been in enough control to remember to get their stuff, and lit it with azure flames unique to him and his family line. "So," Azar started, setting the lantern in the center of the cave, and running his hands through his grimy jet black hair, "what now?"

Jayla was in no state to answer. Although the flames had dissipated from the young earth bender's hands, she was hyperventilating from all the excitement, looking from the unconscious Xeren to the relatively calm Azar. On the one hand, she was out of the camp, and with two people she considered to be at least friends with. Yay, that was good. On the other hand, she was an earth bender who had just spewed haphazard flames from her fists. That meant only one thing. She was the Avatar. She knew not whether that was a good thing, a bad thing, or neither. she supposed the first, but it now meant she was wanted more than just any runaway prisoner. Along with the Psycho state Xeren had been in prior to collapsing, they were now definitely very high on the wanted list. Speaking of the sand bender on the floor…. "Oh spirits," she breathed rushing over to the unconscious sand bender, "Xeren?" he asked, turning him onto, his back, and off his face. He was still breathing, and hadn't seemed to have broken his nose while falling face first onto the floor, though the goggles on his forehead seemed more smashed than they had been.

"After pulling that, I expect he needs a bit of rest. Not everyday you merge with a time spirit and go berserk, tearing rifts in solid walls." Azar suggested

"Right, that makes sense." The redhead agreed, leaning against the cave wall, taking Xeren's head in her lap. Azar raised his eyebrow at this.

"_Just how well did they _get_ to know each other? I'll have to tease them about this_" Azar thought, and snickered, to himself.

Jayla didn't notice the look she got from the fire prince. Instead she spoke up, "I think we could all use some rest. That was quite some excitement for the morning, and we'd best lay low for now anyway"

"Yeah," Azar agreed, pulling his mind out of the gutter with him, "It'll be safer to travel after nightfall anyway, being so close to that equalist base and all." With that, he settled down as best he could on the cave floor, using his satchel as a pillow. Jayla did likewise, instead leaning back against the cave wall, careful not to disturb the exhausted Xeren.

o0o

For the first time since making the time jump, Xeren was able to sleep in peace, no visions clouding his mind. That meant he was able to think on his own. He didn't know if other people thought while they slept, but he did. maybe he was just especially insane like that. His thoughts flashed back to when he let Reliquum's rush of power take over. He had visited the misty palms oasis lodge, on the edge of the desert one time, and seen a mover of an ostrich-horse running in place. Though that was the most advanced mover he'd seen, he caught the gist of higher quality ones, and that's what he had felt like during the power rush. He knew what he was doing, yes, but it was almost as if he were just a spectator through his own eyes. He only had enough minimal input to be able to grab Azar, and get their possessions. Heck, he couldn't even form full sentences in that state. He figured it was just the time spirit taking over so he wouldn't consume himself like she warned him, that or just raw instinct. He hoped the former, as the latter could lead to some troubling outcomes most likely. The amount of power he felt rushing through his being was scary. Wanting to get some actual restful sleep, he discarded these thoughts for now, and sank deeper into sleep. A few hours later, he was becoming aware of his surroundings again. He could hear cave hoppers chirping around him, and his head was someplace soft and warm, but his body cold and hard. Funny, he didn't think Caves had heated pillows, or any pillows for that matter. Carefully, he opened one eye, and the sight before him caused the other to fly open.

"Um, uh, Jayla?" Xeren asked, his face becoming as red as the Avatar's hair, looking up at the still sleeping girl, her emerald eyes still shut in peaceful sleep. Wait, what? Now isn't the time to think about this. Removing his head from his companion's lap, he turned away quickly, as to not expose his embarrassment.

"Mmm, what's up?" Jayla yawned, rousing from her slumber. Standing to stretch, she noticed Xeren facing away, his breathing slightly increased. "Enjoy your nap?" she teased.

"Hey," Azar interjected, becoming conscious at the other two rousing, "you stole my line."

"Whatever princess," Jayla mocked, rolling her eyes playfully. "We should check if its nighttime yet. And if it is we should get moving. My family's old farm isn't far from here, if we can make it to one of the back roads without being caught, we can hold up there. Equalists normally don't inhabit the places they raid benders from. They couldn't living in the same space that 'filth' once did."

Recovered from his embarrassment, Xeren secured his belt and its pouches around his waist, then punched a hole in the wall of the cave he erected to cover them, letting moonlight stream into the cave. Widening the hole into a doorway, he walked out. "Lead the way, miss _Avatar_" he decided to tease back in retaliation.

"Oh shut up." Jayla jibed back, not being able to help the slight smile that spread on her face. Waiting for Azar to pick up his lantern, they set out through the woods, Jayla leading the way, Xeren at her side. Taking up the rear, Azar groaned slightly. Being a third wheel was almost never fun.

o0o

Authors note: How was that, eh? really heating up, no pun intended whatsoever. Well maybe a bit. Be sure to leave a review, and follow for updates if you like it, it really helps believe it or not. As always, have a wonderful day guys! Now excuse me while go take some more fever reducing medicine, and eat some rice.


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